This complex was built between 1940 and 1958 by order of the dictator to commemorate his military victory in the Spanish Civil War and was designed by architects Pedro Muguruza and Diego Méndez.

Its main attraction is the 150-meter-high reinforced concrete Christian cross, the highest in the world, which rises on the summit of the Nava cliff, 1,400 meters above sea level, with a base sculpted with sculptures of religious motifs. Inside the cliff is a Catholic basilica, completely subway, with the cross positioned directly above the altar. In the basilica, moreover, are buried the more than 30,000 fallen of the two sides in the Civil War. The monument is completed by the Benedictine Abbey of the Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen, a choir or school of religious music and a guest house.

In recent years, as a result of the Law of Historical Memory, which recognizes and extends rights and establishes measures in favor of those who suffered persecution or violence during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and the dictatorship (1939-1975), the place has undergone the modification of its name and content. On October 24, 2019, the remains of the dictator Francisco Franco were exhumed and transferred to a family tomb.

The Cuelgamuros Valley is located 47 km from Madrid -easily accessible from the center by train, bus and car-. It can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday and free access is available on Wednesdays and Sundays from 15:00 to 19:00.